Foundation For Environmental Rights,Advocacy & Development - Fenrad-Nigeria

13/05/2026

PRESS RELEASE
13th May 2026

FENRAD Condemns Alleged Barbaric Assault, Intimidation, and Humiliation of Residents by Police Officers in Ukwunwangwu. Uturu in Okigwe Abia State; A Call for investigation and prosecution

The Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development (FENRAD) a prominent and Frontline civil society organization and public accountability Watchdog strongly condemns the reported acts of brutality, intimidation, harassment, and degrading treatment allegedly perpetrated by officers attached to the Nigeria Police Force, Ukwunwangwu Uturu Division, in Uturu. Okigwe Abia state

✳️FENRAD expresses deep concern over the increasing reports of unlawful arrests, extortion, public humiliation, violent assault, and intimidation of innocent residents, particularly young people within the Uturu community.

These disturbing allegations, if left unchecked, threaten public trust in law enforcement institutions and undermine the constitutional rights and dignity of citizens.

It is unacceptable that residents who should ordinarily feel protected by security agencies now allegedly live in fear of harassment and abuse from those entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding lives and property. The recurring complaints of police misconduct in Uturu paint a troubling picture of abuse of authority, excessive use of force, and disregard for human rights and the rule of law.

✳️FENRAD particularly condemns every form of:
☑️lIlegal extortion and unauthorized roadblocks;

✅Brutal assault and degrading treatment of residents;

✅Arbitrary arrests and unlawful detention;
Intimidation and profiling of youths based on appearance, possession of phones, laptops, vehicles, or personal lifestyle;

Threats, harassment, and abuse of power by security personnel.

The Foundation reiterates that no citizen should be subjected to torture, humiliation, or unlawful treatment contrary to the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Police Act 2020, the Anti-Torture Act, and other relevant human rights instruments binding on law enforcement agencies.

FENRAD therefore calls on the Abia State Police Command and the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force to urgently:

☑️Launch an independent and transparent investigation into the allegations against officers attached to the Uturu Division;

✅Identify and sanction any personnel found culpable of misconduct, brutality, extortion, or human rights violations

☑️Dismantle all illegal checkpoints and extortion points within the area;

✅Ensure strict compliance with professional policing standards and human rights principles;

☑️Restore public confidence through accountability, responsible policing, and community engagement.

☑️FENRAD further urges residents and victims of abuse to remain peaceful, law-abiding, and to document incidents responsibly through lawful channels while demanding justice.

Security agencies must understand that effective policing can only thrive where there is mutual respect, public trust, professionalism, and accountability.

The use of violence, fear, and intimidation against innocent citizens has no place in a democratic society.

The people of Uturu and indeed all residents of Abia State deserve security, justice, dignity, and protection — not oppression and brutality.

FENRAD remains committed to promoting human rights, justice, accountability, and responsible governance across Nigeria.

Signed:
Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor
Executive Director
Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development (FENRAD)
Tel; 08033383708, 07062949232
Email; [email protected]
[email protected]

07/05/2026

04/05/2026

04/05/2026

PRESS RELEASE
4th May 2026

🟩FENRAD Issues Formal Regulatory Directive to ASERA, Cites Electricity Act 2023 and NERC Transition Rules Over Aba Power Failures

Aba, Abia State – Nigeria

✳️The Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development (FENRAD) a prominent civil society organization and public accountability Watchdog hereby issues a formal regulatory directive and pre-action notice to the Abia State Electricity Regulatory Agency (ASERA) over the persistent power outages, infrastructure collapse, and anti-competitive conduct by Aba Power Limited Electric within the Aba Ring-Fence area.

✳️This directive is anchored on the Electricity Act, 2023, as well as subsisting transitional oversight frameworks of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) & Abia state Electricity Regulatory Agency (ASERA)

🟢BACKGROUND
For several weeks, residents, industries, and commercial operators in Aba have suffered prolonged blackouts, erratic voltage supply, and systemic technical failures, with little or no communication from Aba Power Limited Electric.

✳️Aba, as a critical industrial hub, cannot sustain economic productivity under such unreliable electricity conditions.
The situation has now reached a threshold requiring immediate regulatory intervention backed by law.

✳️LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
1. Electricity Act, 2023 (Nigeria)
The Electricity Act provides a clear statutory foundation for sub-national electricity regulation, placing direct responsibility on ASERA.
✅ Key provisions include:
Sections 2 & 230–233: Empower states and their agencies to regulate intrastate electricity markets, including licensing and oversight.

✳️Section 34: Mandates regulators to prevent abuse of dominant position and promote competition.

Sections 67–70: Guarantee consumer protection rights, including:
☑️Fair billing
✅Service quality standards

☑️Mandatory communication

✅Compensation for service failures

✳️Section 75: Grants power to impose penalties and sanctions for non-compliance

✳️Section 96: Provides for market restructuring, including unbundling of monopolistic systems

2. NERC Transitional Regulatory Framework
Following the enactment of the Electricity Act, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) issued transition guidelines which:
☑️Require orderly transfer of regulatory oversight to state regulators like ASERA

☑️Maintain that existing licensees remain subject to performance standards and regulatory compliance

☑️Emphasize that no operator is exempt from accountability during the transition period

🟢This means that Aba Power Limited Electric remains fully accountable under both federal transitional rules and state regulatory authority.

3. Judicial and Legal Precedents
✅Nigerian courts have consistently upheld consumer protection and accountability in public utility services.

🟢Notable principles
include:
In Jos Electricity Distribution Plc v. John, the court reaffirmed that electricity consumers cannot be billed arbitrarily without commensurate service delivery.

🟢In NERC v. Eko Electricity Distribution Company, regulatory authority to sanction non-performing operators was upheld as essential to protecting public interest.

🟢The doctrine of legitimate expectation in administrative law further establishes that consumers are entitled to consistent, fair, and transparent service delivery.

✳️FINDINGS: REGULATORY BREACHES
FENRAD finds that the current situation in Aba constitutes:
✅Violation of statutory service obligations under the Electricity Act

✅Failure to meet minimum technical and operational standards

✅Consumer rights infringement (billing vs service imbalance)

✅Abuse of dominant market position within the Aba Ring-Fence

✅Regulatory inaction inconsistent with statutory duty

✳️FENRAD’S FORMAL REGULATORY DIRECTIVES TO ASERA
In accordance with the law,
FENRAD hereby instructs and demands that ASERA immediately undertake the following actions:
1. Immediate Compliance Audit & Investigation
Invoke Sections 34 & 75 of the Electricity Act to:
☑️Conduct a forensic audit of Aba Power Limited Electric

☑️Assess technical capacity, infrastructure status, and financial compliance

2. Enforcement Actions and Sanctions
☑️Establish clear performance benchmarks

☑️Impose penalties for prolonged outages and service failures

✅Issue binding corrective directives with timelines

3. Market Restructuring and Anti-Monopoly Measures
☑️Pursuant to Section 96:
Begin review of Aba Ring-Fence licensing structure

✅Introduce competitive access models

✅Consider partial or full unbundling to eliminate monopoly control

✳️4. Consumer Protection Enforcement
Under Sections 67–70:
Enforce metering and fair billing regulations

✅Mandate compensation for affected consumers

✅Require real-time outage disclosure and public communication systems

5. Transparency and Public Accountability
☑️Publish monthly
performance and compliance reports

✅Establish consumer complaint redress mechanisms with enforceable timelines

✳️NOTICE OF ESCALATION (PRE-ACTION NOTICE)
TAKE NOTICE that failure by ASERA to act within a reasonable timeframe will compel

✳️ FENRAD to:
File formal regulatory petitions and enforcement actions

☑️Initiate public interest litigation

✅Petition federal oversight institutions including the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission

☑️Engage regional and international accountability mechanisms

✳️CALL TO GOVERNMENT
🟢FENRAD calls on the Abia State Government to:
☑️Provide full institutional backing to ASERA

☑️Ensure strict enforcement of the Electricity Act

☑️Safeguard Aba’s status as a viable industrial and economic hub

✳️CONCLUSION
Electricity is not a privilege—it is a legal right and economic necessity. Any operator that fails to deliver while exploiting consumers violates both statutory law and public trust.

✳️FENRAD remains committed to ensuring that the rule of law prevails in the electricity sector.
📌SIGNED:
Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor
Executive Director
Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy & Development (FENRAD) Nigeria

📌Barr. Femisi Akande
Head, Corporate Accountability & Litigation

📍Media & Communications Unit
Tel: 08033383708, 07062949232
Email: [email protected] | [email protected]
Website: www.fenrad.org.ng

18/04/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 19th April 2026

Amakama Killings: FENRAD Demands Justice as Vigilante Member Allegedly Murders Girlfriend, Injures Two in Abia

Umuahia/ Abia State
✳️The Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD), a frontline civil society organization and public accountability watchdog, strongly condemns the gruesome killing of Ezinne Ariwodo in Amakama Community, Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State.

The tragic incident was allegedly carried out by a vigilante member, Chinedu Anamelechi, who is currently at large.
According to media reports, the suspect allegedly shot Ms. Ariwodo dead before attacking two other individuals—her sister and another young man—both of whom sustained serious injuries and are currently receiving medical treatment. This horrific incident has sparked widespread outrage and renewed concerns over the unchecked activities of some vigilante operatives.

📍FENRAD describes the incident as a “horrific and unacceptable act of violence that exposes dangerous gaps in the regulation and oversight of community-based security structures

📍This tragedy is a painful reminder that weapons in the hands of unregulated individuals pose a grave threat to public safety. The killing of Ezinne Ariwodo must not go unanswered. Justice must be swift, transparent, and decisive.”
FENRAD calls on the Abia State Government and the Nigeria Police Force to immediately launch a comprehensive investigation, ensure the arrest of the fleeing suspect, and prosecute all those found culpable.
The organization warns that failure to act decisively could erode public trust and embolden further abuses by loosely regulated vigilante groups.
FENRAD Urges Authorities To:

🔘Enforce strict regulation and proper registration of vigilante groups

🔘Mandate human rights and weapons-handling training

🔘Establish independent oversight and accountability mechanisms

🔘Strengthen collaboration with formal security agencies

🔘Introduce community-based early warning systems

🔘Provide mandatory mental health screening for security personnel

🔘Intensify public education on non-violence and conflict resolution

⚫FENRAD also calls for immediate medical and psychosocial support for the injured victims and extends its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased.

◼️We stand with the family of Ezin Ariwodo and the people of Amakama in this moment of grief.

◼️The organization commends the Abia State Government and the Nigeria Police Force, Abia State Command, for their swift response so far, and urges them to ensure justice is served while putting mechanisms in place to prevent future occurrences.

📍FENRAD reaffirms its unwavering commitment to advocating for human rights, accountability, and the protection of lives and property across Nigeria.

📌Signed:
Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor
Executive Director, FENRAD Nigeria
Tel: 08033383708 | 07062949232
Email: [email protected] | [email protected]

16/04/2026

PRESS RELEASE
16th April 2026.

ABA / ABIA STATE

2026 Flood Alert: FENRAD Calls for Urgent Preparedness and Community-Level Action in Abia State, with Focus on Aba and Other High-Risk Areas

The Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD Nigeria)—a leading environmental justice campaigner, Human Rights and sustainable development organization—has received with grave concern the recent flood alert issued by the Federal Government of Nigeria, projecting widespread flooding across several states, including Abia State, during the 2026 rainy season.

In light of this development, FENRAD issues a strong call for immediate preparedness, proactive mitigation, and intensified community engagement, particularly in Aba and other flood-prone communities across Abia State.

Over the years, Aba—Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre in the South-East—has experienced recurrent flooding due to poor drainage systems, unregulated urban expansion, and indiscriminate waste disposal.

With forecasts indicating heavy rainfall between April and November, and peak flooding between July and September, urgent action is required to avert loss of lives, displacement, and destruction of livelihoods.
High-Risk Areas in Aba and Environs

FENRAD identifies the following communities and locations in Aba as particularly vulnerable to flooding:

Aba South LGA:
Ariaria, Cemetery Road, Ngwa Road axis, Eziukwu, Waterside (Ogbor Hill), and Asa/Ndiegoro areas

Aba North LGA:
Ogbor Hill, Osusu, Uratta, World Bank Housing Estate, and Umuola axis
Other Flood and Erosion-Prone Areas in Abia State

Beyond Aba, several communities across Abia State remain highly vulnerable due to active erosion sites and poor drainage infrastructure:

Umuahia: Amuzukwu, Isi Gate axis, and surrounding communities

Isuikwuato LGA: Uturu and adjoining communities facing severe gully erosion

Ugwunagbo & Ukwa West LGAs: Riverine communities prone to seasonal flooding

Obingwa LGA: Mgboko, Owoahiafo, Ntigha, and adjoining settlements

These areas have recorded repeated ecological challenges, worsened by climate change impacts and weak enforcement of environmental regulations.

FENRAD’s Call to Action
1. Abia State Government and Local Authorities
To urgently desilt and clear drainage systems, enforce environmental sanitation laws, strengthen urban planning compliance, and invest in resilient infrastructure.

2. Community Leaders, Youth Groups, and Residents
To intensify grassroots sensitization, promote proper waste disposal practices, identify safe evacuation routes, and actively participate in community-based flood preparedness initiatives

3. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Abia State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA)
To scale up early warning dissemination, deploy emergency response teams, and pre-position relief materials in vulnerable communities

4. Civil Society Organizations and Development Partners
To support public awareness campaigns, climate adaptation strategies, and humanitarian interventions, particularly for at-risk populations.

5. Media Organizations
To sustain public enlightenment efforts and ensure timely dissemination of verified information on flood risks and safety measures.

Conclusion
As an environmental justice campaigner and advocate for sustainable development, FENRAD emphasizes that flood disasters can be significantly mitigated through proactive planning, responsible environmental practices, and strong community engagement.

The organization reiterates that environmental protection, climate resilience, and sustainable urban management are critical to safeguarding lives and livelihoods in Abia State and beyond.

FENRAD remains committed to collaborating with government institutions, communities, and stakeholders to promote accountability, environmental sustainability, and disaster risk reduction.
The time to act is now. Preparedness today will save lives tomorrow

Signed:
Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor
Executive Director
Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD Nigeria)
Tel: 08033383708, 07062949232, 07026839764
Official FENRAD WhatsApp: 08029860848

14/04/2026

FENRAD CALL FOR JUSTICE FOR MR. KELECHI EJIOFOR A TRUCK DRIVER ILLEGALLY KILLED BY SOLIDER IN ABA, ABIA STATE

The Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development (FENRAD) a prominent Human Rights and public accountability watchdogs strongly condemns the tragic killing of a truck driver in Aba, Abia State, allegedly involving a personnel of the Nigerian Army.

Mr kelechi Ejiofor A truck driver who died from the gunshots wounds after being shot by a soldier at Timber market Aba

This incident represents a grave violation of the fundamental human rights guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and relevant international human rights instruments to which Nigeria is a signatory, including the right to life and dignity of the human person.

FENRAD expresses deep concern over the disturbing circumstances surrounding the incident and the conflicting accounts that have since emerged. The use of lethal force by security personnel in civil environments raises serious questions about proportionality, accountability, and adherence to established rules of engagement.

In light of the foregoing, FENRAD hereby calls on Abia State Government through Special Adviser to the Abia State Government on Security to urgently institute an independent, transparent, and impartial investigation into the circumstances that led to the death of the driver.
Such an investigation must:
Be conducted by a credible and neutral body independent of the chain of command of the accused officer;

Establish the facts of the case, including the actions and intent of the soldier involved;
Ensure that any officer found culpable is held accountable in accordance with the law;
Be made public to guarantee transparency and restore public confidence.

FENRAD further emphasizes that justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done. The culture of impunity within security operations must be decisively addressed to prevent future occurrences.

We also call on the Abia State Government to take immediate steps to:
Ensure that the family of the deceased receives adequate compensation and support;
Provide legal and institutional backing to ensure justice is pursued to its logical conclusion;
Strengthen oversight mechanisms governing the conduct of security operatives within civilian spaces.

FENRAD reiterates that the protection of human life is paramount and non-negotiable. Security agencies must operate within the bounds of the law and respect the rights of citizens at all times.
We stand in solidarity with the family of the deceased and call on all relevant authorities to act swiftly and decisively to ensure justice is served.

Signed:
Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor
Executive Director
Foundation For Environmental Rights,Advocacy & Development - Fenrad-Nigeria
Tel; 08033383708, 07062949232
Email [email protected]
[email protected]
Date: April 14, 2026